“Do not be silent, O God!” (Psalm 83:1)
In Psalm 83, Asaph cries out in desperation as Israel is beset by enemies who conspire for its annihilation. He prays not for self-glory, but for God’s name to be vindicated—and for deliverance from an overwhelming threat. Toward the end he says: “that they may seek Your name, O Lord … that they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” (vv. 16,18)
Today, as many await the freeing of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, this psalm takes on fresh emotional and spiritual resonance. The hostages represent innocent lives caught in the crossfire of forces far greater than themselves. Their families have prayed, pleaded, and waited, sometimes in utter silence. The expectation of their release brings hope that God may yet act dramatically in the realm of nations and suffering.
From Psalm 83 we learn:
- Cry boldly to God: Don’t hesitate to bring anguish, injustice, and longing before Him. “Do not be silent” is a sacred permission to pour out our hearts.
- Trust in God’s justice: The psalmist calls on God to thwart conspiracies and to scatter foes as chaff. When political and military power seem overwhelming, divine intervention remains possible.
- Aim for transformation, not just rescue: The ultimate end in Psalm 83 is that the nations would come to know God. So in praying for the hostages, we pray not only for their safe return, but for hearts to turn, for darkness to give way.
Let us pray:
Sovereign Lord, hear our cry and break the chains that bind these precious lives. Do not hide Your face. Grant deliverance that glorifies You. May those released know afresh Your mercy. Let this moment draw many to seek Your name and to acknowledge You as Most High. Amen.
